Expertise for transformation

‘If you want to shape change, you have to understand it,’ says Egon König, long-standing owner and chairman of the supervisory board of König + Neurath AG. Since its foundation in 1925, the team has been thinking ahead together with renowned creative minds: in 1982, for example, Apple designer Hartmut Esslinger developed the ‘King Alpha’ table range, a height-adjustable version with integrated cable management. In 2000, architect and designer Hadi Teherani teamed up with König + Neurath to create the ‘Standby.Office’ – a compact, flexible workspace. With this mobile office module, they were way ahead of their time: an office within an office that enables self-sufficient working with smart ideas, even in an open-plan office.

The ‘NET.WORK.PLACE’ soft seating range was developed for Siemens back in 2010 to enable communication areas to be redesigned time and again using modular elements: individual communication areas and working lounges can be created in no time at all. For the sustainable further development ‘NET.WORK.PLACE Wave’, upholstery is not glued and the upholstery foam consists of 40 percent recycled material. The cover fabric and foam can be replaced at any time, and the materials can be sorted and returned to the recycling cycle.

Thanks to the modular design, there are endless configuration options for this comfortable lounge system: König + Neurath's versatile range allows communication and entrance areas to be furnished with comfortable upholstered benches, stools, armchairs in various heights, storage surfaces, cushions and acoustically effective curtains. In 2023, König + Neurath expanded its range to include the ‘K+N NOOK.SHELL’ visitor and conference chair, which is not only suitable for communication zones in the office, but also for the home office or dining table. König + Neurath offers digital tools such as ‘K+N WORK.CULTURE.MAP’ and ‘K+N STYLE.FINDER’ to help develop the desired room concepts based on the respective work culture. From product design to product concept, product construction and series production to quality control, the family-owned company provides everything from a single source.

For König + Neurath, environmentally aware business practices form the basis of its international success. ‘Sustainability is the top priority in our business activities. Because only a company that cares about the future can have a future itself,’ is a key statement by Egon König. For current CEO Steffen Schwerd, too, the circular economy and reducing the ecological footprint are a natural part of the corporate culture. Clear, resource-saving structures with as few individual parts as possible, modular systems and customised solutions, as well as a long product life, characterise the portfolio of the full-service provider from Karben, which manufactures exclusively at its headquarters. The seKNd.life division systematically combines the R strategies Re.use, Re.furbish and Re.cycle into a continuous recycling cycle.

seKNd.life is synonymous with manufacturer-independent take-back in projects, professional refurbishment and reuse of office furniture, and resource-saving recycling. The service includes inventory, evaluation, refurbishment and re-implementation of furniture – across Europe and in accordance with high quality and sustainability standards. Production still bears the ‘Made in Germany’ seal of quality and has grown to over 90,000 square metres with its own wood and metal processing facilities. König + Neurath's holistic approach has already been awarded the European LEVEL certificate for office furniture on numerous occasions, which assesses sustainability aspects such as materials, energy, chemicals and social responsibility. Almost all König + Neurath products in the categories of tables, cabinets, partition walls and seating furniture are certified and have achieved the highest certification level ‘LEVEL 3’ for the highest ecological standards. At the same time, König + Neurath products carry the Blue Angel label in the categories of tables, storage space and room partitioning systems (DE-UZ 38) as well as upholstered furniture (DE-UZ 117). The next target has already been set: König + Neurath plans to be climate neutral by 2030.

Shaping working environments in a sustainable way and setting new standards as a source of inspiration – over the last 100 years, the family-owned company has consistently created pioneering and innovative solutions for individual working cultures. "König + Neurath is at a point where it needs to reinvent itself to a certain extent. For the next 100 successful years, we need to rethink, we need a new dynamic, and we also need the courage to try new things," says Steffen Schwerd, CEO of König + Neurath. With this mindset, the one-stop partner for holistic working environments is optimally positioned. (am)